The Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) has announced the winners of its 2025 Dream Big! Competition, celebrating the creativity, ambition, and future goals of students from across the state.
This year, nearly 3,200 Connecticut students in grades K–12 submitted essays, drawings, and videos sharing their dreams for the future. The competition awarded three grand prizes of $20,000, 24 first prizes of $5,000, and will award an additional 240 students with $500 prizes this spring. Ten Connecticut schools were also selected to receive $5,000 technology prizes to support classroom tools such as tablets, smartboards, and other electronics.
Among this year’s student winners were young people with inspiring goals in medicine, engineering, marine biology, therapy, fitness, the military, and mental health advocacy. One middle school winner wrote about raising money for war victims in Ukraine. An elementary school winner shared her dream of becoming a nurse so she can help people heal. A high school winner reflected on breaking barriers as a female football player and how the experience strengthened her confidence, discipline, and resilience.
The Dream Big! Competition is a powerful reminder that students’ dreams deserve encouragement — and practical support. That is exactly what CHET is designed to provide.
CHET, Connecticut’s 529 college savings plan, helps families save for future education expenses with important tax advantages. Funds can be used at accredited colleges and universities nationwide, as well as vocational and technical schools and some colleges abroad. Connecticut residents may also deduct contributions from state income taxes, up to $5,000 for an individual or up to $10,000 for a married couple filing jointly. Investment earnings are exempt from state and federal taxes when used for qualified educational expenses.
Since 2013, the Dream Big! Competition has awarded more than $5.5 million to Connecticut students. CHET itself has grown to more than $5.7 billion in assets and 183,000 accounts, with more than $3.5 billion already withdrawn to help students pay for higher education.
Carver families are encouraged to learn more about both the CHET college savings opportunity and the Dream Big! Competition. Even if the contest is not currently open, it is a wonderful program to keep in mind each year — and CHET remains a valuable way to begin planning now for a child’s future education.
For more information about the CHET Dream Big! Competition, visit chetdreambig.com.